LWR, University of Calgary finalists in George Barley Water Prize

Livestock Water Recycling and the university are on a short list of contestants to win Stage One of the competition

Livestock Water Recycling, in partnership with the Birss Research Group from the University of Calgary, has been named to a short list of finalists to win Stage One of the George Barley Water Prize. The submission by LWR’s Innovation Team included the Waterway Nanoshield solution that combines the proven clean water recycling ability of the LWR System with a revolutionary patented technology developed at the University of Calgary.

The George Barley Water Prize is a competition that advances viable technologies through stages over the course of four years, awarding cash prizes along the way, and ultimately crowning one phosphorus removal solution with a $10 million grand prize in 2020.

Florida dairy farmers have a vested interest in protecting wetlands, eco-diversity and other natural resources. For centuries, they have used traditional methods of manure management, and today, they are excited about evolving technology that will help them continue to reduce their environmental footprint.

The competition brings a variety of phosphorus solutions to Florida, which is facing a major a water crisis. In recent years, algae blooms have become commonplace in Lake Okeechobee, the largest freshwater lake in the state and the heart of the Central Everglades. One out of every three Floridians, an estimated 8 million people, relies on the Everglades for their water supply. According to NASA, the algae bloom that grew last spring covered roughly 33 square miles of the lake, and was blamed for affecting water quality downstream all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

With over 25 years dedicated to the protection of fresh bodies of water around the world, the Innovation Team at LWR is excited to be a part of finding a solution for Florida.

“Bringing our technology to the Everglades is very important to us.” says Charles Zhang, team lead on the project. “Florida is home to more than 130 dairy farms that are primarily owned and operated by second and third-generation farmers. We want to offer them a solution that will keep Florida dairy farmers farming sustainably for generations to come.”

LWR’s Waterway Nanoshield solution was among 77 global solutions that entered Stage One of the competition.